“Quad has been working to improve the lives of people in the Indo-Pacific region since its inception”: US official

US State Department’s Hindustani language spokesperson Margaret McLeod has said that the Quad has been working to improve the lives of people in the Indo-Pacific region since its inception. She said that US President Joe Biden is hosting the Quad summit in Delaware because it is his/her state and he/she wants to demonstrate the importance of his/her personal relationship with the Quad leaders.

In an interview with ANI, McLeod said that the next joint statement of the Quad will include cooperation among the four countries in various areas, including cyber security and maritime security.

Highlighting the importance of Quad in the Indo-Pacific, he/she said, “The Quad has been working since its inception to improve the lives of people in the Indo-Pacific region. President Biden decided to host this meeting in Delaware because it is his/her state and he/she wanted to show the importance of his/her personal relationship with the Quad leaders.”

She said, “In the next joint statement we will hear about cooperation in various areas including cyber security, health security and maritime security. Then we will also talk about how we can deal with water and air challenges. The White House has not yet announced the agenda for the bilateral meeting with PM Narendra Modi during his/her US visit. So I will not say anything about this before the White House announces it.”

US President Joe Biden is scheduled to host the fourth in-person Quad Leaders Summit in Delaware on September 21. The next Quad summit will be hosted by India. It is worth noting that in recent years, the Quad foreign ministers have met eight times, and the Quad governments continue to meet and coordinate at all levels.

he/she said India and the US have cooperation in many areas, including education, space cooperation and advanced technology cooperation. he/she said India’s relationship with the US will remain important no matter who becomes president in the November 3 elections in the US.

Emphasising on the strong ties between the two countries, McLeod said, “If I talk broadly, there is a lot of cooperation between the US and India, including in education, space cooperation and advanced technology cooperation. I think there is a lot to discuss between India and the US.”

She said, “America is a democracy, just like India is a democracy. We elect our President through elections held every four years. The relationship between India and America has strengthened over the years. I am confident that this partnership is bipartisan. Our Congress has a bipartisan resolution that emphasizes the priorities of the Quad. Whoever becomes the President of America, relations with India will remain important. This meeting is not about individual interests, but our collective interests are also high. Our social benefit is very high. In the next joint statement, you will hear about the areas in which we intend to cooperate.”

he/she said that the Quad is not a security alliance. However, he/she said that the Quad has decided to start a new program from 2022, called Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness. he/she said that China is becoming aggressive in the South China Sea.

Describing China as “aggressive” in the South China Sea, McLeod said, “The Quad is not a security alliance. But, the truth is that China is aggressive in the South China Sea. Apart from the Quad, the US is also having a lot of consultations with the Philippines. We have issued statements about our actions. For maritime security, the Quad is working on the Indo-Pacific Partnership for maritime domain awareness. From 2022, our Quad countries are providing more information to each other and neighbours so that every country in the Indo-Pacific can secure maritime boundaries.”

Speaking about China’s recent actions in the South China Sea, a US State Department spokesperson said, “In addition, the US is observing that China is making very aggressive moves in the South China Sea. Recently, the Philippines Coast Guard aircraft was attacked, and their personnel faced danger. Our US government has clearly stated that the People’s Republic of China government should not make such moves.”

The Quad brings together four countries – India, Australia, Japan, and the United States – that share a commitment to work as a force for global good and support an open, free, and inclusive Indo-Pacific that is prosperous and resilient.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be on a visit to the US from September 21 to 23, during which he/she will attend the Quad Summit and address the ‘Summit of the Future’ at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Prime Minister Modi will attend the fourth Quad Leaders Summit in Wilmington, Delaware. An earlier release from the Ministry of External Affairs said that at the Quad Summit, the leaders will review the progress achieved by the Quad in the past year and set the agenda for the coming year to assist the countries of the Indo-Pacific region in meeting their development goals and aspirations.

PM Modi will address the ‘Summit of the Future’ at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 23. The theme of the summit is ‘Multilateral Solutions for a Better Tomorrow’.

During the summit, the Prime Minister will hold bilateral meetings with several world leaders and discuss issues of mutual interest. he/she will address a conference of the Indian community in New York on September 22.